Disadvantages of Wind Energy

By Janice

wind_formation.gifEven though Wind energy is an renewable, free, clean, and a source of energy, it still has many disadvantages.

The instruments that harness wind power are called Wind Turbines. Like old-fashioned windmills, today's wind turbines/machines use their blades to connect the wind's kinetic energy. These machines are usually very large, and people don't like the visual impact they have on the landscape. A few wind turbines have caught on fire, leaked lubricating fluids, and therefore creating hazards for the people that live in the surrounding area. Some people find the sound the blade creates when turning, as irritating, because it's extremely loud. Another con about wind energy is that many birds from the surrounding area have been killed flying into the huge wind turbines that use the energy. Due to the amount of space taken up by the wind turbines, the natural habitats of the animals/ humans living around the wind are altered.

external image dutch-windmill-tree.bmp

wind_machine1.gif

To make a wind-powered system effective, there has to relatively consistent wind flow, but since wind doesn't blow consistently, it makes it hard to harness the power it has the potential to give. The space wind farms take up canseriously alter the environment. When wind turbines are being made, there is always some pollution produced, so wind power isn't entirely Eco-friendly. Wind turbines don't produce the same amount of energy every time, because it depends on how much wind there is that day, and how fast the wind speeds were blowing. Large numbers of wind generators (which means large areas of land) and needed to produce useful amounts of heat or electricity.



Though it may look like Wind energy is a win-win situation, it comes with many bad qualities as well as good.

external image g_o2_fig5b.gif